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Sixers player grades: Joel Embiid comes alive to lead rally past Heat

The Philadelphia 76ers knew what they would be walking into on Saturday night on the second night of a back-to-back against a tough Miami Heat team. They were shorthanded as they were missing Danny Green, Matisse Thybulle, and Shak Milton so they would be leaning more on their stars to lead the way for them.

The Sixers deserve a lot of credit for continuing to dig deep ad battle in this one. With Joel Embiid off to a tough start on the offensive end and the team being so shorthanded, this could have easily been a loss for them. Instead, they dug deep and were able to rally from 13 points down to knock off the Heat 109-98.

Tobias Harris had a big game going for 22 points and eight rebounds, Embiid came alive in the second half and had 32 points and 12 rebounds, and Seth Curry added 21 with five rebounds and five assists. Tyrese Maxey also stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, seven rebounds, and four assists while Georges Niang added 12 off the bench.

Here are the player grades following a gutsy win on the road:

Tyrese Maxey: B-

Another tough matchup for the young guard in this one. Kyle Lowry is a proven player with championship experience and Maxey had a tough time getting anything going on the offensive end against him. He did a solid job on the defensive end, however, as he did not back down from any challenge. The only issue was picking up three fouls in the early going. The physical play of Lowry aside, Maxey stood tall early and often in this one. He was very good on the defensive end of the floor.

Seth Curry: A

The triples that Curry was taking in the early going in this one were the ones that they encourage him to take. He was constantly putting up shots off the dribble in transition and those are good shots for him to take. He and Harris did a great job of knocking down shots and keeping them in the game until Embiid was ready to go. He also continues to play well off Embiid which is always something good for him to continue to grow.

Furkan Korkmaz: C

Starting in place of Thybulle, Korkmaz was his usual aggressive persona from the start. He took P.J. Tucker to the basket to start the game which is always encouraging from him. As far as his point guard duties on the night, this was a bit tougher to do so because of the physicality the Heat present on a nightly basis, but he did an admirable job. He really just had a tough time on the defensive end.

Tobias Harris: A

It was good to see Harris get off to an aggressive start. He was getting into the paint and continuing to make plays off the dribble and setting up his own offense as well as his teammates. The only issue is the fact that he passed up some open triples. He should be taking those looks every chance he gets because he shot the ball well from deep in this one, but he should be maximizing those looks. With Embiid off to such a tough start to this one offensively, Harris was a big factor for them.

Joel Embiid: A

Considering the big fella entered the game with right elbow soreness, this was a tough matchup for Embiid. The Heat are a grind-it-out, physical, tough team and they gave him some trouble in the early part of this one. He had to step out and rotate on pick-and-rolls which led to Miami getting Omer Yurtseven some easy baskets as the Sixers had trouble rotating over. After shooting just 1-for-6 in the opening quarter, Embiid was able to get into a groove as he began getting aggressive on the offensive end of the floor. The shots he was making in the second half were impressive as he began to play like himself out on the floor. Miami did not have an answer for him down the stretch.

Georges Niang: B+

This was a tough one for Niang. He had a 3-pointer blocked on the offensive end and he also had a tough time on defense as he picked up three fouls early. He also vented some frustration and was lucky enough to not pick up a technical foul. He made up for it in the second half when he knocked down four huge triples when the Sixers made their run.

Charlie Brown Jr.: A-

With the Sixers short on wing depth with the injuries, Brown Jr. received a call and he really showed some really nice potential on the defensive end. He may not be able to contribute on the offensive end just yet at this level, but he is an NBA defender and that is something that he can continue to take with him. He had a really impressive night on that end.

Andre Drummond: B-

Playing with a lot of emotion to try and give the team a spark, Drummond did pick up an early technical foul while arguing a call, but other than that, he was active on the glass and he made some nice passes. He was also solid on the defensive end.

Isaiah Joe: C

Similar to Brown Jr., the Sixers were short on wing depth and they called upon Joe for some playing time. He missed an open look at a triple, but he was pretty solid on the defensive end as he bothered Miami’s shooters a bit.

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